1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle anti-theft matching system.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been available a matching system which requires setting of a password unique to a driver as an anti-theft measure. Before driving a vehicle, a driver enters his/her password, and the matching system matches the password with a previously-set password. There has also been available a matching system by way of which a driver registers his/her fingerprint or voice pattern beforehand. Subsequently, the matching system matches an input fingerprint or voice pattern with the registered fingerprint or voice pattern.
In the event that no match exists between a password or fingerprint entered before driving a vehicle and the previously-registered password or fingerprint, the matching system inhibits startup of the engine. If a burglar attempts to drive a stolen vehicle, driving of the vehicle is inhibited, thus preventing theft of the vehicle.
Every time a driver starts driving a vehicle, the matching system always requires the driver to perform an operation for effecting matching of a password or fingerprint, thus imposing a heavy workload on the driver. In the event that a driver desires to drive a vehicle immediately, the system still requires the driver to perform matching operation, thus posing inconvenience to the driver.
The present invention is aimed at providing a mobile anti-theft matching system capable of lessening the burden imposed on a driver before he/she drives a vehicle.
In order to solve the problem, the present invention provides a vehicle anti-theft matching system comprising:
a position registration section for registering an authorized storage area of a vehicle;
a position comparison section for determining, through comparison, whether or not a current vehicle position detected by the current position detection means matches the previously-registered authorized storage area;
a comparison/determination section which determines, on the basis of a result of comparison performed by the position comparison section, whether or not a mismatch between the current vehicle position and the authorized storage area has existed for a continuous period of time exceeding a predetermined period of time, and which authenticates the driver as the authorized owner of the vehicle when the mismatch has existed over the given period of time; and
vehicle travel control means for imposing predetermined limitations on travel of the vehicle when the driver cannot be authenticated as the authorized owner on the basis of a result of matching performed by the comparison/determination section.
Preferably, the authorized owner is ascertained by means of matching of a password entered by way of a predetermined control panel.
Preferably, the present invention also provides a vehicle anti-theft matching system comprising:
vehicle travel control means for controlling travel of a vehicle;
a position registration section for registering an authorized storage area of a vehicle;
a position comparison section for determining, through comparison, whether or not a current vehicle position detected by the current position detection means matches the previously-registered authorized storage area;
a comparison/determination section which determines, on the basis of a result of comparison performed by the position comparison section, whether or not a mismatch between the current vehicle position and the authorized storage area has existed for a continuous period of time exceeding a predetermined period of time, which sends at least an identification code assigned uniquely to the vehicle and information about a current vehicle position to a predetermined security center by way of a predetermined radio communication section, and which sets the vehicle travel control means in a normal vehicle travel enable state when a predetermined signal is returned from the security center.